Filtered water in hospitality: an overrated trend

A year ago the so-called “glass of water law” came into effect, forcing restaurants to offer their customers the possibility of consuming unpackaged water for free. We are not talking about a recommendation but a serious rule: the Official State Gazette included this regulation in Law 7/2022, dated April 8. Bottom line: you can't charge for tap water.

In general, this law is being complied with, but it is also giving rise to some misunderstandings in the hospitality industry where there is confusion about what is tap water, what is filtered water, and what is natural mineral water.. Sometimes customers are not clear why they are paying.

Tap water

It is usually served in a jug or directly in a glass. It comes from surface water and from various sources (reservoirs, rivers, desalination plants) and receives a treatment, generally with chlorine, to disinfect it, protect it from contaminants and make it suitable for human consumption.. Its composition is changing.

The taste of tap water can be more or less pleasant depending on the area of Spain in which we live, but this should not confuse us about its safety. We are lucky to live in a country where we have safe tap water.

Filtered water

It is usually served in a glass bottle with the name of the restaurant, unsealed and without a label.. It is tap water that undergoes a domestic filtering process in the restaurant itself. In this process, its initial composition is altered and chlorine is eliminated, so the water is left unprotected and is more sensitive to contamination that may occur during packaging and service to the consumer.. For this reason it is essential to guarantee adequate hygienic conditions.

As the bottles are not labeled, the origin of the water (the tap) is not reported. However, the attractive design of many of these bottles with the restaurant's name or logo may make consumers think that they are dealing with high-quality water.

natural mineral water

They are presented in bottles that are sealed and have a label. Comes from underground aquifers that are protected from contamination. It does not require any treatment for its consumption, it is packaged at the foot of the spring and reaches the consumer with all its purity and natural qualities.. Its mineral composition remains constant and we can know exactly what it is through the labeling.

Mineral waters are one of the most regulated food products in terms of quality and food safety.

Conclusion

Drinking tap water is a safe option in our country and for a year now it has been mandatory for restaurants to serve their customers free tap water when they request it.. Now, if due to taste or for other reasons we decide to pay to drink water, it is important to be clear about why we are paying. That we are not given cat by hare, or water filtered by natural mineral water.